Ping Bill Gumbine

damn, you made my walk out to the truck and check, Dave.. lol It's a MS 170...

We looked at 16" saws, but decided on the 14" for the size and weight... it's easy to lift, carry and use, and it fits really well in the "farm box" on the truck.. I figure that we can cut up to a 28" log if we can work from both sides, but anything much over 12 or 14" is probably more than I want to lift after cutting it.. If I was cutting the blanks out at the same place that we cut the logs, I might have gone for a larger bar, but probably not.. Also, I have 2 electric chain saws, both 14", so it's a size that the wife and I are comfortable with..

The 14" has a 30 - 38 cc engine, (looked at so many, it's a blur), and if we went with a bigger bar, we would want more cc's... which means more weight, noise,etc... YMMV

mac

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"George" wrote in news:42ba8bb4 snipped-for-privacy@newspeer2.tds.net:

I'm in Martinez, in Contra Costa county. The friend with the orchard is a nut grower, south of Modesto. Most of his land is in almonds these days.

Patriarch

It's not the crosscut capability, Mac. You really wanted a 16" bar so that you could rip a full-length without burying the nose in the blank. You'll realize this as time goes by. Safer, and easier on the saw if it can toss shavings at the top of the tip as well as drag them at the bottom.

Yep, not to mention the current practice of removing the trees after about

Had to get out into the older growing districts to find a black walnut (above the roots), and most of what was left was volunteer. Tastes changed to favor the English type.

Beale.

"George" wrote in news:42badeac$1 snipped-for-privacy@newspeer2.tds.net:

In the backyard of a house owned by my wife's sister is a black walnut, 50+ years old. Maybe 54" diameter at breast height. It's going to need to come down next winter, for several reasons. I've already arranged a sawyer.

Patriarch

you know, I tried ripping them, after watching Bill's DVD.. I spent more time clearing those LONG shavings out of the saw then I did cutting... I stand them up to cut the blanks now..

mac

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hey.. if you ever plan to be as far south as the Fresno/Clovis area, let me know and we can grab a cup of coffee and maybe trade some local wood.. I'm getting really tired of pine and fir, but it's available, so I'm learning on it... (I must have a years worth and lots more coming)

mac

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You were "walking" the saw, correct? Angle bar up on near side, angle bar down on far side to keep as much shaving throwing outside the kerf as possible? Keeps less bar in the kerf, and allows you to run full throttle and full throw.

I cut a blank to a couple inches over in length, normally, and a bit more when I have one where I might have an unusual angle on a branch, so I can judge before committing. Sure hate to have to cut a 20" with a 20", because it sometimes packs.

Of course, you're doing softwood, which is going to be a bit friendlier, but I would not want to be your saw when you stand up a chunk of dense hardwood and try ripping from the end.

I appreciate it, thanks. As well as for the advise about the saw. I can hardly believe that we've got an ON topic discussion going. Who'da thunk it. %-) Oh yeah, the Daughter and Father both enjoyed the video, again. Then we watched Franz Klaus' doveies video so I'm teaching my father to cut dovies today. Like JOAT says, "Life is basically good."

Dave in Fairfax

I'm afraid I've gotta agree with you on this one, George, and for the same reasons. I worked ER for WAAAAYYY too many years to be comfortable with doing the "drop and pray" technique. They also rotate sometimes and that blade can return in unexpected areas. Yup, that area. MAJOR femoral bleed, aside from the incident considerations.

Dave in Fairfax

Right. The crosscut is nice, but ripping down the middle is MUCH easier on the saw, and you. If you've got a 16" bar, you rip a 14" log with ease. The end doesn't clog or grab as much and the bar runs cooler. That being said, I keep a 16" bar on at home where I do most of my work and a 14" bar in the truck where I'm just choppping the logs to length and tossing them into the back end for cleanup at home. My father loved fireplaces back when I lived in MI. We built out own house, 3 fireplaces, and since I was slave labor, I got to cut and haul the wood from the back 40. Which accts for my size I suppose and a number of other things one of which is my preffering chainsaws to double bits.

Dave in Fairfax

Surely you mean circumference.

Sounds like my kids' comment on rock picking in the garden - "how long do we have to play Egyptians and Israelites?"

Any chance of some pix, or the URL to "Darrell's page?"

My back will love you forever. Well, until it comes time to unload... O:-)

Ayup. NE corner of I-94 and US-131 before they put any houses in. 45 mi N was Grand Rapids, 30 mi W was Battle Creek, I don't remember what was S, Kalamazoo was about 5 mi E. The backyard was hardwoods, streams, lakes and swamp. I hate Fairfax.

Dave in (sob) Fairfax - with too damn many neighbors!

Hey Dave, S. Kalamazoo, Fairfax & chainsaws? It's your thread, who says you have to stay on topic. Anyway when they unwind over more than a few posts most threads go OT, and not always toward serendipity.

Is Fairfax too much an urban myth for you? Think of what has become of old backwoods Florida, where everyone now lives in a giant condom..,'err condo. You'll be better satisfied with Virginia. :)

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

Sorry, Andy.. Because Darrell is one of my heros, I tend to think that everyone knows about his page... it's a great place to spend an hour or 3...

mac

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Florida is sick. I was in South Florida pre-revolution and what's happened since is incomprehensible. I currently live in a town north of Daytona which has been sort of an oasis, but they're comin'. Just the other day the city "accidently" removed four acres of trees that were a buffer between the 18th hole of a golf course near the airport and the airport itself. Supposedly to build a new hangar and taxiway complex.

Are we sufficiently off-topic yet?

Pounding the pulpit in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com, mac davis did expound thusly:

I was a tad disappointed in the sawbuck though, for some reason I got the impression 'twas a "self-loader" which is what I'd really like, for lifting those logs that my eyes say go but my back says no. My fault for mis-reading what you said. [shrug]

I /think/ I can see a way to modify it though... or maybe not. I'll post new msg and ask for feedback. I'd rather not prototype it and discover serious design flaws by losing a foot or something!